Walk to School Day highlights safety

Wednesday is Walk to School Day, a practice that’s become more prevalent and safe the past few years.

The state’s Safe Routes to Schools grant program has awarded $55 million for 140 projects since 2005, including ones in Bainbridge Island, Suquamish and Poulsbo. At those sites, walking and bicycling climbed 20 percent while car accidents tumbled to zero, said Charlotte Claybrooke, Safe Routes to School coordinator for the state Department of Transportation.

The Suquamish project could serve as a model for the program. A $500,000 grant was awarded in 2007 to build sidewalks along Division Avenue, Geneva Street and Park Boulevard.

“The foot traffic has increased, I would say, by probably 40 percent just by installing three sidewalks because people feel safe,” said Gail Petranek, the school’s library secretary who spearheaded the project.

Previously, bicyclists had to ride on the road and hit the ditch when cars came, joining walkers.

“It was extremely dangerous,” said Petranek, who worked 10 years getting the improvements, with help from the Suquamish Citizen Advisory Committee.

That $500,000 grant ended up being a small part of a package of road and drainage improvements that totaled more than $3 million. The work is just wrapping up, said Tina Nelson, who oversaw the Suquamish projects for Kitsap County.

A $298,000 grant paid for connections linking the grade school, Poulsbo Middle School and North Kitsap High School. This is the beginning of the second school year since the project was completed.

“I can honestly tell you I don’t think it’s changed anything,” she said. “We have so many children who are brought to school by their parents.”

A new caution light works in slowing drivers near the school and the project left the area more attractive, said Alves, who sees residents using the sidewalks but not many students.

“I don’t think it’s done anything for our children,” she said.

Bainbridge Island School District received one of the first grants, in late 2004, for a path. The $150,000 was spent on a multiuse path connecting four schools that are less than a mile apart with a new housing development, library and swimming pool.

It worked, said Ordway Elementary Principal Melinda Reynvaan.

The school takes pride that it’s centrally located and only has six buses.

“We do like it if the kids walk or ride their bike to school,” she said. “Any kind of activity during the day we know is good for students. If we can start the day with some activity, that’s a good thing.”

Ordway has partnership with Sakai Intermediate School, Woodward Middle School and Bainbridge High School. The older students walk to the grade school to serve as mentors.

“Having safe paths for them to come here is important,” Reynvaan said.

The elementary students can walk to Helpline House for an annual food drive, to a history museum, dance center and to Sakai to learn about the transition from grade school.

“Because of our location, our students can be part of the community and have other older students be peer mentors at our school because they have safe routes to go back and forth,” Reynvaan said.